Following footsteps

   “Go meet your Momma kid 'cos there ain't room for two in the cellar,” Jolly Howard said after sipping his beer at the fireplace leaving froth on his moustache. “An' be sure to shut the door well,” he finished with a puff of cigar. Danny felt irritated as he frowned and coughed to the thick smoke and the words that came out of his boss' mouth. Danny cursed the day as he took off his coat off the wall after stuffing himself with knitted scarves while walking to the door to open it but it wouldn't budge. Danny spat on his hand and tried again, it opened so he went out without bidding his boss goodnight. The temperature had gone very low that frost had covered the sign outside. The ground's snow had increased by one centimeter and the idea of walking on it was not what it was anymore. He stood at the entrance wondering if a miracle would pass by to offer him a ride but the night was still and quiet except for the gentle blizzard. He walked away from the store after there was no other choice. As he walked under the snow he thought of how bad his day went. For a start, his girlfriend had dumped him since the last two months. Caren said she wasn't happy in the relationship so she left him then he heard rumours of her dating his best friend, Timmy. And it was confirmed when from the counter he watched them kiss and cuddle and take pictures and he just kept watching. It was like he was happy seeing her happy but it hurt at the same time knowing he wasn't the one giving her that happiness. Danny's friendship with Timmy was barely surviving as the two stopped doing stuff together maybe except when Caren wasn't around. 

   His dad just passed away a few weeks ago and his mom was a total wreck. She barely did anything at home other than find solace under bottles of whisky until she almost got sacked from work. Danny would come home and find her on the couch and would carry her to her room to clean the mess she made. Some nights she would curse cancer in her sleep for not granting her husband more time to live. Seeing his mother broken always brought memories of his father to mind as he saw images of his old man with him at the backyard kicking a football toward him telling him stories of the football players that made them proud back in the days, that the players of these days didn't know what they were doing while Danny would laugh. He recalled the days he would sit with Dad at the fireplace to update him of his new crushes in school and Dad would laugh and tell him to make a move on one of them or he would be single forever and would give him strategies to win a girl's heart the way he did to Mom and then he would pull her to his laps and kiss her and Danny would excuse them to his room to have the warm cocoa Mom made for him. Sweet days, he thought.

   And as if that wasn't enough, his boss had scolded him for not making enough sales that he ought to make. The man said he would have to fire him if he wouldn't make the store scanty or empty enough for more supply to be brought in. Danny thought the old man ought to be reminded that he still owed him his salary of the last three months. He thought it was time to quit the job since he would be moving away soon. He lifted his head as he heard a motorcycle drive slowly through the thick snow. He wanted to scream to be heard but the motorcyclist wasn't aware someone was outside in the harsh weather condition. Danny continued his walk trying to get those thoughts back to his mind to pass time under the cold until heard something. He turned back to see what it was but nothing was seen. His shoe was slipping off his foot so he bent down to tie his shoelace that was getting loose and then he noticed something very strange. He didn't see it. His footprints. He was shocked. The cold he felt in his chest disappeared from what he saw. There weren't footprints. Not a one. He looked at his feet. They were normal. He looked around, there was no one. He was scared. How was it possible when he was sure he buried his foot deep into the snow. His heart rate increased. He increased his pace occasionally looking to see if he still left any footprint but there still wasn't any. Danny began running as fast as he could that he stopped to catch his breath when he realized the snow was already a little high above his ankle. He reached for his cellphone in his pocket to call his mother but it didn't pick then it dawned on him that she was on a night shift and was probably too busy to pick up. He tried it again and she picked up.

   “Mom please I need you to come pick me. Something strange's happening and I can't explain it right now. Just come please,” Danny said frantically looking at his feet that left no footprints.

   “Your Mom ain't coming boy. She's busy,” a voice said. It wasn't Mom. With frustration he squeezed his phone back into his pocket thinking the ground would swallow him or he would be killed by something mysterious of the night if he didn't get help soon. He brought out his phone again searching for contacts to call to pick him. There was Granpa, he lived far away. Caren's contact photo came to display but he didn't want to call her even though she owned a rickety truck. He came across Mother's number again. Timmy's contact came up. He owned a car. Worth the try. He dialled it, it rang.

   “Hello,” Danny spoke once it was answered.

   “Dans, s'it you?,” Timmy's voice answered. His voice sounded sleepy. He must be really getting cozy in bed, Danny thought.

   “Yes. It's me Tims,” Daniel replied very happy that he picked his call as he smiled nervously eyeing his surrounding. “I need your help bro.” He felt weird saying that. 

   “What's it dude?,” Timmy said, his voice sounding clearer.

   “I was coming home from work without taking a vehicle and I decided to trek it out but now I'm scared,” Danny's voice shook as vapour escaped out of his mouth.

   “What? Why?,” Timmy asked.

   “I'm not leaving footprints,” Danny answered calmly. 

   “What? That's insane dude!,” Timmy said at the other end. Maybe he found it amusing, Danny thought.

   “Yeah, I need you to come pick me,” Danny pleaded. “Please.”

   “What? Now?,” Timmy replied.

   “Yes. I think I'm gonna... I dunno,” Danny said looking around for signs of danger while trying to get images of death off his head.

   “Okay then. I'll get Caren,” Timmy said.

   “No. Not Caren,” Danny pleaded. “Why Caren?.” 

   “My car's bad and the only person available to help now's Caren,” he explained. “I know things are weird between you two but I'm sure she'd be glad to help.”

“Okay. Please hurry. I'm freaking out here,” Danny said shakily. The phone hung. Timmy seemed to take long, long enough for Danny to know how to act when Caren is in the same vehicle as him. His phone rang. It was Mom.

    “Hello, Carly told me you called. Is everything okay? Where are you now? It's past eleven. Are you still at work? Are you alright?,” Mother kept asking worriedly. 

   “I'm walking and I'm not...,” Danny paused to think why he would want to worry his mother and distract her from her work. “I'm okay Mom. Just thought to check up on you,” he hung up. His phone rang again. He thought it was Mom again but this time it was Timmy.

   “Where are you Dans?,” he asked. Danny could hear Caren's voice behind complaining about her frozen windscreen wiper. Classic Caren, Danny thought.

    “I'm a street away from the store,” Danny answered sounding more panicked.

   “I'm coming to get you bro,” he said. Danny could hear Caren's voice behind again asking Timmy why he still works at the dumb store. Danny could hear Timmy shush her then hang up.

    In no time, Caren drove up by the side of the road as Timmy alighted from the truck helping Danny who shivered walking slowly to the truck. Timmy helped Danny into the back seat of the vehicle then went to the front seat and then the truck continued. The first few minutes of the drive was awkward as everyone just kept their eyes on the road until Timmy spoke.

    “So you were saying something 'bout walking without leaving footprints,” he started. Caren looked at Timmy and back on the road.

    “Yeah. I...,” Danny paused. He thought he would sound stupid especially in Caren's presence. “I was walking home from work and realised I wasn't leaving footprints,” Danny said thinking of how he would have explained it better until Caren scoffed.

    “Yeah, it sounds unbelievable,” Danny sat up staring at the rear-view mirror trying to see the expression on her face even in the dim evening light. He felt bad for everything that happened including what just happened.

    “Why exactly did you call, Danny?,” Timmy asked after a long time of pondering. “The no footprints was not true. Was it?.

    “T'was. I swear,” Danny raised his voice. “You know you coulda just said you weren't able to come so you woulda...”

   “What d'you mean?,” Timmy turned to Danny at the back while Caren still drove. 

    “We can't pretend everything's okay because we all seated together. You coulda just told Caren to stay home and sleep in her cozy bed!,” Danny couldn't control himself because his best friend thought he would make something up for whatever reason he thought it was for.

    “Hey! Don't bring me into your dumb talk! Who goes around telling people their footprints disappear when they work home late from a silly job,” Caren screeched shaking her wavy blonde hair the moment Danny mentioned her name.

    “Just shut your hole!,” Danny shouted to Caren. Immediately Caren stopped the truck at the middle of the road.

   “Gerroutta my truck!,” she screamed. 

   The vehicle grew intensely quiet that Danny opened the door of the truck and stepped out without uttering a word. He gave a stare to Timmy who sighed and tilted his head backward on the headrest and continued the rest of the drive on foot since his destination was just a few streets away. He began thinking why all these happened to him especially why he wasn't leaving footprints on the snow and why it looked like he was slowly sinking in the snow. He got home and headed straight for his room. Laying in bed listening to Maroon 5's Memories the door creaked open. He heard it but didn't want to know who it was.

    “What's up with you Dans?,” Mom asked settling herself on the bed beside Danny caressing his hair.

    “Nothing,” Daniel answered turning his back to her.

    “You're angry at me right?,” she said softly almost in whispers.

    “No. There's just the issue of Caren and the job and I just wanna be left alone,” Danny said without turning over.

    “I'm sorry about Caren son but you got to let it go. Carly said you called earlier. She said it sounded urgent. What was it?,” she asked.

    “Nothing,” he answered. There's was no way he would tell his mother he lost his ability to make footprints.

    “I'm sorry Dans. And you don't need to worry about the job we're moving away,” she whispered patting Danny on his arm but he was still, lost of words. “Get your stuff ready before Friday,” she finished with a peck on his cheek then walked out of the room and by the door she bade him goodnight before shutting it.

   Danny knew moving away was for the best but he also knew that he had to straighten things out with Timmy and maybe Caren. Danny knew they both knew he would be moving out and maybe they would come around if they cared.

   It was Friday fast. The truck arrived early and Danny's mom was already supervising the men who came to help with the furniture while Danny just packed his stuff into a big brown box occasionally stopping to reminisce events some of those stuff brought back. He was done after an hour. He was ready to move away after his last glance at the apartment. As he walked to the car he heard his name.

    “Dans!,” Timmy called running to Danny. He stopped right in front of Danny while panting. “I see ya all packed up.”

    “Yeah,” Danny said trying to smile. They were both quiet.

    “Well I just thought to...,” Timmy started but was interrupted when Danny gave him a bear hug. Timmy returned it as they stood there for a few seconds. They released themselves laughing together for no reason in particular.

    “I'm sorry for the other night man,” Timmy started again heads down.

    “It's alright man. It's unbelievable itself,” Danny chuckled as he watched his mother make phonecalls while approaching the car. 

    “I'm glad we're still cool bro,” Timmy smiled as he held out his fist for a fistbump. Danny bumped it with enthusiasm before his mother asked him to get in the car.

    “Hey,” Danny called after getting in the car. “Take care of her yeah?,”

    “Yeah. I'll try,” Timmy answered. The car engine revved as smoke puffed out of the exhaust pipe. “Hey!,” Timmy called back.

    “Yeah?,” Danny answered.

    “Be sure to leave footprints this time,” he smiled. Danny smiled too nodding and with that the car drove off while Timmy stood still arms in his pockets watching the vehicle drive out of sight.